Barbarians prefer to come from behind and maintain 100% start

Game 1 Vs Teeside Smoke

A game in which the Barbarians haven’t fared well over the years couldn’t have started worse, going one down early on in the game.  It stayed a tense and edgy affair until Phil Sanderson managed to take advantage on the powerplay slotting home a quick shot low to the blocker side of the opposing netminder thanks to some inspired coaching by Ed Coote.  Not long afterwards Steve Walker put the Barbarians up by one to end the 1^st period 2-1.

Teeside came back early and scored at the beginning of the second period to put the game on level terms again.  Halfway through the 2^nd Ben Bradley edged the Barbarians in front again to make the game 3-2.  Some late penalties on the Barbarians made the end of the game uncomfortable but some great PK work from Steve Walker killed the game off.  A great win against one of the Barbarian’s bogey teams kept the team at the top of the league.

Team stats: - Steve Walker 1+1, Ben Bradley 1+1, Phil Sanderson 1+0

Game 2 Vs York University

Two unbeaten sides met each other with all to play for at this early stage of the season.  York, fielding a nearly new squad, had enjoyed early success in the league and for the 2^nd time in the day put the Barbarians 1-0 down on the powerplay with a backhand shot that snuck though Ed Coote.  Phil Sanderson again brought the Barbarians back level halfway through the 1^st period to end the period all square. 

It stayed a very tense game which could have gone either way until 14 min left when Nick Clapham scored to put the barbarians up 2-1.  Again York pressed, looking for the equaliser but some inspired netminding sometimes from point blank range kept York at bay.  It was to be Nick Clapham scoring his 2^nd of the game which looked to seal the game for the Barbarians with 3 mins left on the clock, but some defencive errors lead to a tense last two mins as no. 97 for York danced straight though the Barbarians defence to score and make the score 3-2 with 1 min 30 secs left.  Try as they might, York couldn’t get back on level terms with some inspired defending from Barbarians.  The end of a good game was marred with a dangerous knee to the head by no. 9 from York which started off a melee where everyone took a partner; the Barbarians were punished unfairly with two key forwards missing the next game with York only missing one player in there next game.      

Team stats:- Nick Clapham 2+0, Phil Sanderson 1+0, Mark Chambers 0+1, Richard Hawke 0+1